“The girls have been unbelievable,” says Chris Chambers as he reflects on Lancashire’s Girls Under-18s double-winning summer.
National 50-over success in late August was followed by a T20 triumph earlier this month, with Essex beaten in both finals at Kibworth and Uppingham Town.
Chambers, Lancashire’s women and girls pathway manager, is understandably delighted with the way things have gone for his fledglings and has confidently predicted: “The future looks bright, but we can’t take our foot off the gas.”
The U18 County Cup final at Leicestershire venue Kibworth was quite the occasion.
Lancashire won by one wicket in the 48th over chasing 206 having bowled Essex out for 205, thanks to leg-spinner Venus Weerappuli’s stunning 6-53 from 10 overs.
Opener Maeve Jones top-scored with 58 and captain Grace Johnson, who has played three senior matches for Lancashire Thunder this season, added 43. But Lancashire slipped from 149-2 to 202-9 before being carried to victory by Emilia Lamb’s unbeaten 20, which included the winning boundary.
Chambers said: “There’s been one or two standout performances, but generally speaking everybody has contributed. We’ve hardly lost a game all season.”
At the County T20 Cup Finals Day at Uppingham Town, Lancashire beat Kent in the semi-final by six wickets chasing 62. Anya Laraway’s seam accounted for two wickets in limiting Kent to 61-7, before opener Olivia Cunliffe top-scored with 24.
In the final, the Red Rose beat Essex by five wickets chasing 70. Laraway impressed again with 4-13, before wicketkeeper Hannah Snape top-scored with 16 in reply.
Team songs were belted out after both triumphs, and Chambers continued: “It’s just so exciting to think where these players could be in two or three years.
“We have an exceptional crop of under-18 cricketers, with the squad ranging from 14-year-olds to those who have just turned 19.
“There’s really good depth, and a good age range.
“We should have some up-and-coming players for the next two or three years.”
Lancashire women and girls set-up feeds into that of the Thunder regional set-up, highlighted by captain Johnson’s progression to play one Charlotte Edwards Cup fixture and twice in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
“We’ve had two T20 titles and one 50-over title in three years, and I can’t speak highly enough of her,” added Chambers. “She’s been incredible as a captain and leader on and off the field.
“I think that’s made a real difference in getting us over the line.”
Johnson has played her club cricket at Lowerhouse and for Ramsbottom women, the latter where Laraway is a team-mate. Weerappuli is a 14-year-old from Bradford, while Lamb plays out of Newton-le-Willows, where Chambers himself plays his club cricket.
“Venus is up to 102 wickets in all county age-group cricket and for Lancashire women, which is remarkable,” said Chambers. “She plays for the U15s, U18s, the Academy and the Lancashire women’s teams.
“She has a googly and a flipper, and she’s incredibly skilful.
“She’s been our main bowler, but we’ve also had Emilia (Lamb) and Grace (Johnson), who have opened the bowling and taken vital wickets.
“Anya took six wickets on Finals Day bowling seam and was superb.
“The 50-over competition went right down to the wire, and it was really nice to see Emilia hit the winning runs because she’s been out for two years with consecutive stress fractures of the back.
“But she’s come back this year, opened the bowling and scored 65 not out in the semi-final and 20no in the final.
“That would be one of my personal highlights because of what she’s been through.
“Obviously, Venus getting six-for in the final as a 14-year-old would be a highlight, as would Grace captaining the team over the last three seasons incredibly well.
“But everyone has chipped in throughout the season.
“The girls worked extremely hard in the winter, whether it was coming in for extra running sessions or doing five weeks of extra batting practice before Christmas, which we’ve never done before. That came on the back of a poor season last year.
“Everybody signed up for it and put in all the hard work. It’s nice to see that come to fruition.
“The semi-final in the T20s was on a tricky pitch and got tighter than it should have done. The final, we bowled and fielded exceptionally well to keep them to 69.
“Then you just hope someone gets in and gets a score, which they did.
“But that’s the way we’ve played our cricket, being really positive up top.
“We bat right the way down, and it enables us to be positive in the powerplay, which is something that Chris Read’s trying to do in the first team.”
Chambers continues to positively impact the development of women’s cricket at Emirates Old Trafford, something he has be doing for close to 15 years now.
“When I started at Lancs, my first age-group was the U13s girls, and that was Ellie Threlkeld and Emma Lamb - their age-group,” he said. “It’s been really nice to see the journey they’ve had.
“In recent years, we’ve had Seren Smale and Libby Heap go and play England U19s and then get professional contracts. Obviously, Grace has been into the first team this year.”
A successful summer is hopefully now followed by a rewarding winter for a quartet of players who are all in contention for the England U19s World Cup campaign in Malaysia early next year.
Summer Carrington, Cunliffe, Lamb and Weerappuli all recently took part in the ECB’s School Games at Loughborough, which acts as part of the selection process for that tournament.”
As well as praising his players performances, Chambers was also keen to highlight the support offered to the pathway by Lancashire as a club, alongside sponsors AO and SportsBreaks.
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